The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-05-14
The Western Boundary of Maryland
NO. ONE,

| NO. ONE.
Prepared by w. p. Townshehd, ESQ.,, mem.
Der of the Garrett county Bar.
In view of the recent action of the
Legislature of West Virginia Oh the
boundary question, and the interest
manifested in the case of the State oil
| Maryland VS.. Marshall Reckard, the
true location of the Western boun.
Diary line between Garrett county,
Md, and Preston county w. Va,,'
being made matter ofinquiry there
in before the Court and jury, we have
concluded to give sketch of the his
tory of said line so far as the mater
ial at hand will enable us so to do
believing it will be of intesest to the
people of Garrett county, and partic-
ularly to those living in that part OF
the county adjoining and bordering
upon said line.
Without occupying time and space
in the recital of the disputes between
Maryland and Virginia IN regard to
it and the numerous efforts for and
failures in its settlement, in colonial
times and subsequently we come
down to the year 1852 when, on May
81, the General Assembly of Mary
land, anxious that the same might
be finally settled and the true bound
airy determined and established
passed the following law:
CHAPTER 275.
an Act for running and marking The
Western Boundary Of this State !:
WHEREAS, 1t is of great imror-
lance that the Western territorial
limits of the State of Maryland be
clearly defined and her boundaries
permanently established.
AND WHEREAS, The true location
of the Western line of Maryland, be-
tween the States of Maryland and
Virginia, beginning at or near the
Fairfax Stone on the North branch of
the Potomac river, at or near its
source, and running in a due North
line to the State of Pennsylvania, is
now lost and unknown, and all marks
have been destroyed by time or 9th
erwise,
AND WHEREAS, The States of
Virginia and Maryland have both
granted patents to the same tracts OF
land at or near the supposed line, and
as suits of ejectment are now pend
ing in the Circuit Court for Allegany
county, in the State of Maryland, by
persons holding under Maryland pat
ents against persons now in possess
sion and holding land under patents
granted by the State of Virginia,
which cannot be Justly settled with
out establishing said boundary line;
therefore,
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of Maryland, that
the Governor be, and he is requested,
to open a correspondence with the
Governor of Virginia, in relation to
tracing, establishing and marking
the said line; and in case the Legis-
lature of Virginia shall pass an act
providing for the appointment of a
commissioner to act in conjunction
with a commissioner on the part of
Maryland. in the premises, then, and
in such case the Governor be, and he
is hereby authorized and required to
appoint commissioner, who, togeth-
er with the commissioner who shall
be appointed on the part of Virginia
shall cause the said line to be accur-
ately surveyed, traced and marked
with suitable monuments. beginning
therefor at the said Fairfax Stone,
and running thence due north, to the
line of the State of Pennsylvania.
SEC. 2. And be it enacted, That it
shall be the joint duty of the COM
missioners, after running, locating,
establishing and marking the said
line, to make report, setting forth
all the facts touching the locating and
marking said line; and it shall be
the duty of the commissioners of each
respective State to forward copies of
the joint report to each of their re-
spective Legislatures and upon the
ratification of such report by the
State of Virginia and the State OF
Maryland through their respective
Legislatures, the said boundary lines
shall be fixed and established so to
remain forever unless changed by
mutual consent of the said States
after this.
For several years the matter rested
and not until 1858 was any action
taken on the part of the State of Vir-
ginia. On March rs of that year
however, the Legislature of that
State enacted the following law:
CHAPTER 3.
An act to ascertain and fla the bonn
dairy lines of the States of Virginia
and Maryland:
WHEREAS, The General Assembly
of Maryland has passed two acts for
running and marking the boundary
line between that State and the State
of Virginia, beginning therefor at
Smiths Point at the mouth of the
Potomac river and running thence
to the Atlantic Ocean to form the
eastern line, and beginning at the
Fairfax Stone on the Potomac river,
sometimes called the North Branch
of the Potomac river at or near its
source and running thence due North
to the line of the State of PennsyI.
vania, for forming the Western boun-
Diary line; and whereas, the legis-
luture of the State of Maryland has
II r